If you've ever received an injection of any kind you might have heard the advice of the doctor to look away so it won't hurt. As it turns out, new research published in the journal Pain provides evidence that looking away actually does decrease the amount of pain you feel.

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Participants in the experiments reported their pain as more intense when they viewed a needle pricking a hand then when they saw a Q-tip. As it turns out, the expectation of pain leads to enhanced pain perception and enhanced autonomic nervous system activity. In the end, the study provides evidence that looking away from a needle prick really does decrease the pain which is great news for those of use who hate getting shots.